Summerland

A warm June evening, a local tradition: the students of Nantucket High have gathered for a bonfire on the beach. What begins as a graduation night celebration ends in tragedy after a horrible car crash leaves the driver, Penny Alistair, dead, and her twin brother in a coma. The other passengers, Penny's boyfriend, Jake, and her friend Demeter, are physically unhurt--but the emotional damage is overwhelming. Questions linger about what happened before Penny took the wheel.

As summer unfolds, startling truths are revealed about the survivors and their parents--secrets kept, promises broken, hearts betrayed. Elin Hilderbrand explores the power of community, family, and honesty, and proves that even from the ashes of sorrow new love can take flight.

Newsletter

Video

A warm June evening, a local tradition: the students of Nantucket High have gathered for a bonfire on the beach. What begins as a graduation night celebration ends in tragedy after a horrible car crash leaves the driver, Penny Alistair, dead, and her twin brother in a coma. The other passengers, Penny's boyfriend, Jake, and her friend Demeter, are physically unhurt--but the emotional damage is overwhelming. Questions linger about what happened before Penny took the wheel.

As summer unfolds, startling truths are revealed about the survivors and their parents--secrets kept, promises broken, hearts betrayed. Elin Hilderbrand explores the power of community, family, and honesty, and proves that even from the ashes of sorrow new love can take flight.

Elin Hilderbrand: novelist, mother of three, sports enthusiast, avid fan of Bruce Springsteen, Veuve Clicquot, and four-inch heels. She sits on the Board of Directors at the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club and Nantucket Little League. Her resting pulse is 65.

SUMMERLAND by Elin Hilderbrand

SUMMERLAND by Elin Hilderbrand

"Engrossing....As in all of Hilderbrand's novels, the island works magic....Silver Girl's great fun."
(People Magazine).

"As could be expected from the bestselling Hilderbrand, it's a juicy setup, allowed to unfold naturally."
(Boston Globe).

"Wildly successful...consistently smarter and more compelling...zips along with the kind of well-limned romantic drama that keeps poolside readers out of the water for hours. B+."
(Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly).

"Hilderbrand's books are...perfect beach reads. She captures the daily rhythm and the magic of island life, providing an escape from the daily grind. The Island goes down as easily as a cold glass of white wine on a hot summer day. The characters are believable and likable, and their relationships with each other ring true with frequent tension and flat-out fights between the sisters...satisfyingly, these squabbles and dramas resolve themselves as the women rediscover how to trust each other with their greatest fears and secrets."
(Catherine Mallette, Fort Worth Star-Telegram).

"Queen of the summer novel...beguiling...Hilderbrand's portrait of the upper-crust Tate clan through the years is so deliciously addictive that it will be the 'it' beach book of the summer."
(Kirkus, Starred Review).

"It's not just her covers that say 'perfect beach book'...Hilderbrand...has the romantic drama down as well...Her juicy ninth sets newly divorced Birdie Cousins, her daughters Chess and Tate and her widowed sister India on an island that just happens to be home to hot handyman Barrett Lee."
(People).